About Ksenia
Ksenia Penkina is an entrepreneur, influencer, educator, author, and founder of PastryClass - the world's best online pastry classes.
Her journey in pastry began with a degree in Switzerland, where she immersed herself in the world of patisserie, mainly focusing on the inside world of the desserts, understanding of the chemistry behind it, and a process of ingredient integration.
“People would know me for my glazing style and I am highly attentive to it. I must say, glazing is my favorite part. However, the most important part is the cake itself.”
Glazing Queen
Ksenia’s famous mirror glazed cakes with multiple colors and effects has been taking over the internet, nominating her with a shiny title “Glazing Queen”. Since the beginning of her artistic pastry, she invented several glazing effects that became classics of glazing and used by pastry artists all around the world.
In her own words, Ksenia says, "People may recognize me for my glazing style, and I'm incredibly passionate about it. However, the most important part is the cake itself.”
PastryClass
After Ksenia`s successful 5-year pastry career working on the personal brand, in 2022 she founded PastryClass - The World's Best Online Pastry Classes. Featuring online classes by Cédric Grolet, Pierre Herme, Ramon Morató, Frank Haasnoot, Jordi Roca, Christophe Adam and more legendary chefs.
Platform celebrated one year in June 2023 and continues changing online pastry education and bringing success to every student.
Worldwide Hands-On Master Classes
Ksenia became an International Hands-On Master Class Instructor, offering classes in various locations including Spain, Portugal, Romania, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Thailand, India, Mexico, and Russia. This initiative marked the beginning of her global influence in pastry arts education.
She also consistently offered Hands-On Master Classes at her primary location in Vancouver, Canada.
Haute [ōt] Brand
In 2018, Ksenia launched her signature brand, Haute [ōt], which included a full range of innovative food colors, both water and oil-soluble, catering to professional and home kitchens.
Books
In 2019, Ksenia's debut recipe book, published in Russia, was a hit, selling all 3,000 copies in two days. Building on this success, she reached a global audience with English publications: "RECETTE," on Mirror Glaze techniques; "Theory Guide: Great Glaze Doesn't Start with Glaze," on the mousse cake theory; and "TEXTURES," on recipe customization.
Perfume “Keep Glazed”
In 2019, Ksenia expanded her brand into the fragrance industry with “Keep Glazed,” a high-end perfume developed in collaboration with the Italian company Thoo House of Oud. The perfume and dessert were created with mutual scent, flavor, and design, showcasing an innovative fusion of culinary and olfactory arts.
Molds
Her partnerships with Silikomart and Chocolate World highlight Ksenia's influence and respect within the pastry industry. The creation of the CW1972 Polycarbonate Chocolate Mold with Belgium's Chocolate World, for example, used by chocolatiers all around the globe. Additionally, her collaboration with Italy’s Silikomart led to the release of the signature silicone molds GEMMA and Mini-GEMMA in 2018.
Social Media Engagement
In 2019, Ksenia released 18 personalized GIFs, enhancing digital engagement with her brand. These GIFs, searchable under "Penkina" among other keywords, allowed for a fun, interactive element to be added to social media stories and messages.
